Dissolution
by fizzingweaselbee
Summary: Post DH, an unlikely couple find themselves sharing stories of woe in a bar (one shot)


"Is this seat taken?" a blonde man asked, and Hermione shook her head, eyes trained on her firewhiskey. "Wait, Granger?" She looked up and found herself looking at a man she hadn't seen in close proximity in years.

"Malfoy. Wonderful." She downed the last bit of her drink before signalling the waitress for another.

"I'll get that. Keep them coming." Malfoy ordered, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"If you're going to be nice you should at least pretend to be polite." She pointed out, and Draco shrugged.

"What brings you here?" Malfoy asked once the drinks arrived, studying her as she gulped down the alcohol.

"The dissolution of my marriage." She grimaced. "How about you?"

"The same. I'm surprised you didn't read about it in the paper - her mother is just lovely." He sounded as bitter as Hermione felt.

"Your fault or hers?" Hermione asked, gaining an incredulous look from him.

"You can't really blame people. It was both of us." He answered. "Why? Who are you blaming?"

"Our workloads." The bartender refilled her glass, and she smiled gratefully.

"You've got kids, haven't you? I saw them at Kings Cross." Draco sipped his drink daintily.

"Yep, three of them. Ron's getting sole custody; they'll be living at the Burrow."

"That explains the alcohol." Hermione raised her glass in response.

"What about you, you've got the blonde kid that Rosie's always complaining about."

"Who, Scorpius?" Draco frowned. "I only get him for one week at Christmas, and two weeks in the summer." He studied his drink before copying Hermione and draining the glass.

"To shitty adult problems?" Hermione said as he handed her another drink.

"To shitty adult problems." Draco agreed, and they clinked glasses.

* * *

"I have an apartment." Hermione told Draco crossly after he detached one of his supporting arms to unlock his front door.

"There's no way you're apparating drunk." Draco replied, swearing when the key became jammed. After a moment of trying to unstick it manually, he removed his other arm from under Hermione's shoulder and grabbed his wand, allowing them into his house.

"Wow, being rich looks fun." Hermione rocked slightly as she turned her head, examining the bookshelves that made up the walls of the corridor.

"It has its perks." Draco admitted, grabbing the intoxicated witch and directing her towards a guest bedroom.

"Why're you being nice?" Hermione asked when he sat her on the bed, helping her off with her coat.

"Because you didn't tell me how much you'd had to drink _before_ I arrived, and I assisted in getting you to this state of inebriation." Draco walked to the door. "I'm next door if you need me. Please don't vomit on the sheets." He switched off the light, leaving Hermione to admire the spinning ceiling.

* * *

When Hermione woke, she was greeted by a small, wrinkly face predominantly consisting of eyes peering over her.

"Merlin!" she sat up quickly, looking around.

"Master Malfoy has sent me to enquire about breakfast." The house elf asked, seemingly undisturbed by her shout.

"Uh, yes, that would be lovely." She swung her legs out of bed and stood up, rubbing her temple.

When she was shown into the dining room, she was surprised to see a dishevelled Malfoy sitting at the far end of the table.

"Seat yourself; Tibbs will make you some breakfast." He smiled at the House Elf, who bowed and left them.

"I just wanted to apologise. You needn't have felt like you needed to take me home, a sobering spell would have done." Hermione began.

"Yes, well, one of the unfortunate things about being brought up as a gentleman is not being able to resist a damsel in distress." Draco replied, smiling softly.

"Regardless, you didn't need to go to such lengths, and I'm sorry if I put you at an inconvenience." She found herself imitating his formal tone, maybe due to the oddity of the situation. The following meal was eaten in silence except for a few muttered requests for jam or sugar, and Hermione excused herself as soon as she politely could after she'd finished, eager to grab her things and go.

She left the guest room and turned right; knocking on the door Draco said was his. The door opened, and she began to thank him but the words died in her throat when she saw that he was only wearing suit trousers, and that his hair was still damp.

"I just wanted to say thank you for letting me stay, and I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience."

"Don't worry about it, I'm the only one in this house bar the elves, so there isn't anyone to disturb." She returned his smile, and held out her hand, which he shook.

* * *

She sank down into her sofa in her apartment, determined not to analyse the feelings seeing Draco like that has inspired. _I am a woman coming out of a marriage, rebound feeling are to be expected._ Feeling as though she had justified her feelings, although to no one but herself, she headed into the kitchen to make tea, needing caffeine to get rid of the remains of her headache. The hooting of an owl distracted her, and she detached the letter from the leg of the unfamiliar bird, curious.

**Ms Granger (I assumed you wouldn't prefer Weasley)**

**I enjoyed our meeting in the pub last night, and wondered if you'd like to meet deliberately somewhere nicer. My owl will wait.**

**Draco Malfoy**

Hermione could find no excuse for the butterflies in her stomach as she penned her reply.


End file.
